Nakijin Castle Ruins | Okinawa, Japan

Nakijin Gusuku Ruins Park located in the Nakijin village, a district located in Northern Okinawa Japan is a great place to check out if you enjoy sightseeing and have a couple hours to spare. We ventured there in mid February, just as the cherry blossoms were falling. This is a great time of year to enjoy one of the most spectacular castle sites on Okinawa.

When you arrive you will notice how truly enormous Nakijin really is. Also, you can begin to appreciate the hard work it must have taken to build such a towering structure. Archaeologists estimate that the castle covered nearly 14 acres  at one point. Nakijin’s large size is why it is the second largest castle ruins, only behind Shuri Castle here on Okinawa and is also part of Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage sites .

The admission fee of ¥400 for a single adult covers entrances into both Nakijin ruins and the Nakijin Village History ad Cultural Center. This does involve some walking, but not too strenuous… so wear some comfortable shoes if you want to experience the most.

If you want to see more pictures of Nakijin, you can check out my Okinawa photo album .

Admission Fees

Adult- ¥400

High school student or younger- ¥300

Child not yet in elementary school- Free

Information

Hours : Nakijin Gusuku Park 9AM-5PM

Extended hours : Hours of operation vary with the season

Nakijin Village History and Culture Center : Last entry by 4:30 PM

Parking : Free

How to get there

Take the expressway all the way up north to Nago. From Nago you can take several different roads to get to Nakijin. It is approximately 25 kilometers from Nago to the entrance of Nakijin. If you are familiar with Route 58, you can take 58 until you get to 505 and then look for signs that will lead you there.